Morrison Library

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About

Morrison Library opened in 1928 as a traditional library reading room providing an ambient atmosphere for students to take a break from the rigors of academic life. One of the architectural treasures of the UC Berkeley campus, Morrison Library offers comfortable seating for leisurely reading, and maintains a circulating collection of newly published popular fiction and non-fiction. Morrison Library also has a limited collection of circulating audiobooks, travel books, and newly published poetry books, as well as subscriptions to several popular magazines and a few daily newspapers.

Events in the Morrison Library include:

Lunch Poems - A noontime poetry reading series under the direction of Professor Robert Hass.

Story Hour in the Library - A monthly prose reading series hosted by English department faculty Vikram Chandra and Melanie Abrams, and featuring distinguished prose writers from the Bay Area and beyond.

Collections:

Morrison Library’s non-circulating permanent collection comprises primarily books from the private library of Alexander F. Morrison donated by his wife, Mrs. May Treat Morrison. Other non-circulating collections include works in the Josephine Miles Poetry Alcove, tables highlighting current exhibits at local museums and the idiosyncratic and gloriously designed Bay Area publisher McSweeney's, an eclectic LP collection (phonograph available), and a modest collection of jazz, classical and popular music on CD (players/headphones available). In addition to books and music, Morrison Library’s gem is its Graphic Arts Loan Collection, a collection of framed, original lithographs, etchings, and woodblock prints available for loan to Cal students, faculty and staff.